PRESS RELEASES

13th Annual Health & Wellness Expo 

Gloucester Health Department and Addison Gilbert Hospital to hold 13th Annual Health & Wellness Expo

(Gloucester, MA) - On Saturday, October 27, 2007 the Gloucester Health Department and Addison Gilbert Hospital will once again team up to hold the 13th annual Health and Wellness Expo at Gloucester High School. The event, which will take place between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., is focused on providing health-related education and information to people of all ages in a fun and interactive environment.

This year’s expo will feature more than 60 interactive community health and educational displays describing strategies for healthy living, including information about exercise and the opportunity to learn and sample great, nutritious recipes through cooking demonstrations and food presentations from Jack Vondras, director of the Gloucester Health Department, Julie LaFontaine of the Cape Ann Food Pantry and Thai Choice restaurant. In addition, the Health and Wellness Expo will feature a mercury thermometer exchange, which gives members of the community the opportunity to exchange mercury thermometers for safer, digital versions.

Thai Choice: A food demonstration by Thai Choice restaurant at last year's Health and Wellness Expo.

The expo will also offer several free demonstrations and health screenings for bone density, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, there will be plenty of fun and entertainment including live music, a juggler and "Andy the Ambulance," provided by Lyon’s Ambulance Service.

Andy Ambulance: "Andy the Ambulance," provided by Lyon's Ambulance Service will provide fun and entertainment at the 13th annual Health and Wellness Expo.

"The Health and Wellness Expo is really about different facets of the community coming together to educate and learn in a fun environment," said Jack Vondras, director of the Gloucester Health Department.

"It’s an opportunity to engage the community in the importance of health while providing resources and information about healthy living."

Additionally this year, in an effort to promote emergency preparedness and response, the Health Department will offer potassium iodide (KI) tablets to all interested Gloucester residents and those who regularly work in Gloucester. KI is used to protect the thyroid from radiation exposure in the unlikely event of a radiological or nuclear event.

"The distribution of KI is just one more step in our region’s all-hazard emergency preparedness plan," said Sunny Robinson, Gloucester public health nurse. "It’s important to note that its availability does not imply any increased risk but, as a community that lies within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant, we felt that it was important to have KI available."

Prior to Saturday’s Health and Wellness Expo, on Friday, October 26, 2007, there will be a separate health expo for teens in the Field House at Gloucester High School. The Teen Health Expo, dedicated to providing teens with age-appropriate health education in a non-traditional setting, will take place throughout the school day and classes will be scheduled to allow for all students to participate.

The Health and Wellness Expo has been providing a platform for area health and wellness agencies and companies to highlight their programs and services while providing vital information to the Gloucester community for 13 years. This event continues to be available free of charge to both the community and exhibitors due to contributions from Addison Gilbert Hospital and the City of Gloucester Health Department, as well as the generous support from major sponsors such as Network Health, Cape Ann Medical Center, Gloucester Community Health Center, Gloucester Dental Center, Gloucester Rental Center, Gorton’s and Varian. In addition, this event was also made possible by support from Cape Ann Food Pantry, MJ Evans Plumbing and Heating, Inc., Marini’s Farm Stand, Marshall’s Farm Stand, Russell Orchards, Stop & Shop and Tai Choice.

Addison Gilbert Hospital

Addison Gilbert Hospital is a full-service, 58-bed medical/surgical acute care facility. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient care to residents of the Cape Ann community in specialties such as cancer care, surgical day care, critical care and emergency medicine.

Addison Gilbert Hospital has been nationally recognized by Solucient Institute as a 100 Top Hospital five times in the past seven years.

Addison Gilbert Hospital is a member of Northeast Health System. For more information on Addison Gilbert Hospital, visit www.addisongilbert.org.

Gloucester Health Department

The Gloucester Health Department is a staff of committed professionals from a wide array of disciplines. A statewide leader, the Health Department has spearheaded issues such as community health needs assessments, Hepatitis C awareness and prevention, emergency preparedness, on-site wastewater management and the coordination of a city-wide coalitions to address substance abuse prevention, domestic and child sexual abuse prevention and response. The department’s core mandate includes a wide array of inspection services from food service to septic systems, communicable disease control and immunizations. For more information about the Gloucester Health Department, visit www.ci.gloucester.ma.us or call 978-281-9771.

GHF Liza Zellenka: Lisa Zellenka, a Registered Nurse in the Oncology Department of Addison Gilbert Hospital pictured at last year's Health and Wellness Expo.